


What Could Have Been

by HeyItsKay88



Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cannibalism, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Symbiotic Relationship, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-05 17:27:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16371947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyItsKay88/pseuds/HeyItsKay88
Summary: Hopeless.That's the only word that could describe his situation. Opening his mouth and trying to get the truth out had costed him his job, his relationship, his apartment, everything. With nowhere else to go, he decides to participate in the testing going on in the Life Foundation, and really find out for himself what Carlton Drake has been hiding from the world.





	1. Getting Over It

Eddie stood outside of Anne’s place, staring up at it with mixed emotions. He was lost, angry, scared, but he decided today wasn’t the day he’d come asking for help. It had been six months after his incident with Carlton Drake and between that time he managed to lose everything: his job, his relationship, and now his apartment. The pile of unpaid bills had gotten too high that he had been evicted from his place, so he had to resort to living on the streets. He had started a daily routine of stopping by Anne’s at random times, before what remained of his pride flared up and he continued walking. Today was going to be another one of those days.

As he turned away to start walking back to where he had hidden his few possessions, a car had pulled up, followed by a voice that had haunted him in his sleep for six months straight, “Eddie?” She had found him out and it’s not like he could keep walking now. 

Sucking in a breath, he turned to face her and was shocked to see her in a dress he’d never seen her wear before, “Hey, whoa, Anne. I was just walking by and I saw Mr. Belvedere and I felt concerned for his welfare so-”

A man stepped out of the car Anne was in and came around to stand beside her. He was well groomed, a stark contrast to Eddie’s unkempt hair and beard he had let grow out. Anne sighed as she intertwined their fingers together, “Eddie...this is Dan. Dan, this is Eddie.” The two of them shook hands, and after pushing away his jealousy that Anne had already moved on, he could tell already that this Dan was a good guy.

“Anne’s told me a lot about you.”

“Really?” So she does talk about him? Good things?

“Yeah, I’m a big fan of your work. All those people you took down.” 

Now it was Anne’s turn to be surprised, quirking her eyebrow at him, “Yeah, I was one of them.” She didn’t even try to hide the bitterness in her voice. The air around the three of them became very awkward and Dan could feel it, so he dismissed himself with a kiss to Anne before letting himself inside their apartment.

Eddie watched Dan let himself in like he owned the place and that twinge of jealousy was back and stronger than ever, “He has a key. You know he has a key, right?” He knew it was a stupid thing to say as soon as the words came out of his mouth.

“Yeah, how else would he get in?”

Another long pause. Eddie tried to laugh it off and continued, “So, uh, whatcha up to?”

“You realize that’s light years away from being any of your business, right?” Eddie felt himself bristle at how hostile she was being to him. Of course, he was the one that ruined her career and their relationship to begin with, but he still refused to believe he was completely to blame for all of that.

Eddie shrugged and changed the subject, “I was just asking...so is Dan a lawyer?”

“No, he’s a doctor. Surgeon, actually.” Ah, more salt in the wound. He was way more successful than Eddie.

“How’s Mr. Belvedere?”

“I would say that he misses you, but that would be bullshit because-”

“Because he’s a cat.”

“No, because he never liked you,” Anne attempted to make a beeline for the door. 

Eddie had to say something so this conversation wouldn’t end so soon, even if it was a string of words. “No, he’s a cat and cats don’t like anyone you look good by the way. You doing good?”

“What are you doing here, Eddie?”

“I’m here cause I miss you. A lot. We were gonna get married, that wasn’t so long ago and now I can’t really believe that we’re not,” Eddie let his words spill out like a waterfall but stopped himself, weighing his question before he asked, “Are we gonna try and find our way back?”

“No, we can’t. You did this, Eddie. Not Carlton Drake, not the network, you.” With that, Anne turned back toward her apartment and went inside, back to her new boyfriend, her happy life without Eddie, leaving him with nothing. When the door closed, he could have sworn he felt his heart crack. He wanted so bad to go inside, scoop her up in his arms, and kiss her passionately, pretending like nothing had happened between them. This was real life, though. Defeated, he turned and started walking in a direction, no longer caring to go back to his stuff right away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally trying my hand at a rather long fic! I have high hopes about this. I can't take credit for this idea however, since the plot of this will be based off of an idea from @venomtots on tumblr. Thank you for coming up with this idea and inspiring me to write again!
> 
> Please tell me what you think so far. It's kinda a recap this chapter of what happened in the movie, with some added tweaks.


	2. Giving In

Eddie’s wandering led him to the beautiful view over the Golden Gate Bridge. He leaned against the side, rolling Anne’s engagement ring between his fingers and considered just dropping it right then into the water. Maybe...there was still a chance for the both of them. He shook his head to dismiss the impossible thought immediately. She was done with him, she made that very apparent. Perhaps he could return the ring and possibly get his apartment back with the money. Thoughts like this raced through his head while his eyes stared almost lifelessly across the water, a helicopter flying overhead and ruining the view. Eddie’s eyes didn’t have to travel far to see the Life Foundation in all of its glory, and the card from the doctor that he had met in Mrs. Chen’s- Dr. Skirth was it?-started to feel heavy in his pocket. He put the ring in his pocket in exchange of the card, and without any hesitation or second thought, he dialed the number.

 

Dora sounded surprised when she heard Eddie Brock’s voice over the phone, and the surprise only escalated when he revealed his intentions in calling her.

“I need to speak with Carlton Drake. I’ve been seeing those ads he’s been posting up.”

Dora didn’t like where this was going already. “What about the ads? You aren’t thinking of participating, are you?”

“What I do is none of your business. I need to get to him though.” Eddie still couldn’t bring himself to trust the stranger he had met in Mrs. Chen’s store since she worked with the man that had brought him to rock bottom.

There was a long hesitant pause as Dr. Skirth seemed to think it over, then she spoke up softly, “Alright. I’ll pick you up at the store we met in. 8 AM.”

Eddie could barely sleep after that. He laid in his little corner of the world, being a tight alley between a small family owned restaurant and a clothing store, huddled under a blanket that was too small for him but still managed to keep him warm. In the morning, he was going to see the man that had ruined his life. He had so many conversations and scenarios planned in his head, most of which involved him yelling at Drake. He had to play it safe, since he had already experienced firsthand how dangerous of a man he was.

 

Eddie stared with tired eyes as the Life Foundation came into view, feeling a rising anxiety in the pit of his stomach. Dora seemed to notice this and glanced over at him every now and then during their car ride, but didn’t know what words of encouragement she could provide. Eddie hadn’t told her what exactly he wanted to talk to Drake about, but she hoped he would save the innocent people being tested on.

One of the first people that greeted them on their way in was none other than Carlton Drake. He didn’t even notice Eddie at first, only giving a pleased smile to Dr. Skirth, his best scientist, “Good morning, how are…” his words trailed off as his gaze fell on Eddie and there was a flash of surprise on his face before it turned into a cocky grin, “What can I help you with, Mr. Brock?” He dismissed Dr. Skirth with a wave of his hand and she scurried off, leaving the two of them alone.

“I uh, saw your ad.” Eddie pulled a flyer out of his pocket advertising that the Life Foundation wanted people to participate in ‘studies’ to earn money. It made sense why these were plastered all around lower-class areas, and Drake was a sick bastard for taking advantage of people like this.

“So you’re down on your luck and have nowhere left, hm?” Drake’s grin turned more sadistic, and only proved Eddie’s point that something wasn’t right with this man.

“Yeah, and whose fault is that?” He bit back, but instantly regretted it as Drake didn’t even skip a beat.

“Only your own,” Drake started walking and expected Eddie to follow, which he did reluctantly while glaring at the back of his head. He was lead into a small office space, where he was presented a file full of paperwork. Much like the previous people who had signed the same papers, Eddie didn’t bother to read the details, instead signing and filling in information where it was required. A lot of the documents were interested in Eddie’s medical history, such as any allergies, past surgeries, and family medical problems. They seemed innocent enough on the surface, and he didn’t bother to look them over before handing them to Drake.

“It’ll be a pleasure working with you,” Drake’s voice sounded heavily coated in sarcasm and he shook Eddie’s hand with a surprisingly strong grip, “I’ll have someone come begin your preparations soon.”

Eddie didn’t like how that sounded.

After he was left alone for quite a while, someone came in and took him into another room to perform blood work and give him a physical, and it would’ve been fine if Eddie didn’t hate the doctor’s to begin with. It smelled strongly of medical supplies just like a hospital, which unsettled him even more, and he continuously told himself he was fine and this was all necessary. He started to sweat through the change of clothes they had given him, making him even more uncomfortable.

Eddie was shown to where he would be staying, a glass cell lit by surrounding fluorescent lights, casting everything in blue light. There was nothing welcoming about this cell, and he was left to sit on the floor like an animal. Scientists gathered around outside of his cell to keep track of his vitals, and Drake’s voice spoke through an intercom.

“Comfortable?”

“What the hell is all this for?” Eddie leaned against the glass side furthest from Drake, his knees propped up to rest his arms on.

“You’ll find out soon enough. Have a good night, Mr. Brock.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank @venomtots on tumblr for helping me while I write this! This whole thing wouldn't be possible without her and her spouse! You're both the best!
> 
> Next chapter we get into the juicy stuff...


	3. Caged Animal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: some blood and gore. Not too bad, but I still thought it was worth mentioning.

It was impossible to fall asleep. No matter what position Eddie tried, he stayed wide awake. Looking outside his cell didn’t provide him any information as to what was in store for him. It must have been dawn by the time he finally fell asleep.

 

Too soon, there was a bang on the glass that startled Eddie awake. The one who had awaken him, one of Drake’s guards, snickered when he saw the caged man jump. As Eddie was trying to think of something to yell at the guy, Drake arrived with even more guards.

 

“Mr. Brock, we’re going to transfer you to another cell to begin your tests. Don’t try anything, I won’t have my men hesitate to kill you,” Drake spoke through an intercom. Eddie wasn’t even phased by the threat, but he looked around at the scientists and guards to gauge their reactions and recognized Dora among the many faces, the one who had got him in this mess. He couldn’t say that it was entirely her fault. This time he’d take the blame. She stared back at him with wide eyes filled with regret.

 

The glass doors slid open and a couple guards came in, grabbing Eddie not very gently and walking him out and to another cell with Drake following close behind. In the cell, a familiar face looked up at Eddie and he had to contain himself, pretending not to know Maria. The doors were opened quickly and he was shoved in before being sealed once more.

 

Eddie offered Maria a small smile and whispered softly, “Maria! I’m so glad you’re okay. I was really worried-” Maria suddenly sprung on him, pinning him against the side of the glass by his neck. Nothing that came out of her mouth was comprehensible, sounding like a feral animal instead of her normal self. Eddie struggled against her surprisingly strong grip, then froze up when he had the feeling of something crawling on his skin. He wasn’t sure if he had imagined it, but he didn’t have time to dwell on the thought as Maria released him and collapsed on the ground. Eddie kneeled down beside her, panic in his voice, “Maria?!” He looked up at Drake, “What the fuck did you do to her?”

 

Drake paid him no mind, instead deeply focused on the computers.

 

“Incredible. He’s achieved symbiosis.”

 

“Answer me, Drake! What did you do to her?” Eddie continued to yell, but all that was sent his way was a glance.

 

“Get the body out of there,” Drake motioned to the guards on standby and they did so with Eddie watching her corpse get carried away like a mistreated ragdoll.

  
  


 

The rest of the day, Eddie understood what it felt like to be an animal in a zoo. Stared at with amazement. It made him feel uneasy.

 

“How are you feeling, Mr. Brock?” Drake had asked him sometime in the afternoon.

 

“When are you going to feed me?” Eddie bit back, and realized maybe they weren’t going to feed him. If he died from starvation, then oh well.

 

A smile crept across Drake’s face, “Of course you’re hungry,” He turned the intercom off to speak to a scientist, “Fetch our subject here a rabbit.”

 

Eddie waited for some indication as to whether his request was taken seriously. His eyes followed the scientist who Drake spoke to and widened when he saw her carrying a rabbit. No. That couldn’t be for him. He was still telling himself that as the door slid open and it was placed on the floor.

 

“You can’t be serious,” He glanced from the innocent creature to the cruel animal trying to feed this to him.

 

“You’re hungry? Then eat.”

 

Something in Eddie snapped, like he was thrown into the backseat as he watched himself grab the rabbit and take a bite from it, the poor thing squirming and crying out in pain. The next bites were more ravenous, getting as much in his mouth as he could and taking almost no time to chew. This was disgusting, but he couldn’t get himself to stop until there wasn’t much left of the rabbit and his hunger was somewhat sated. He blinked and looked at his bloodied hands, then up at his reflection in the glass, shuddering at the sight of his stained front and gore all around his mouth. Eddie’s heart raced and he backed himself up against the furthest side of the enclosure from Drake and the other viewers.

 

“What...what did you do to me?” His body was shaking as he hugged his knees and he found it hard to breath. He felt tears well up in his eyes.

 

“Why are surprised? Didn’t you read the fine print? Are you having regrets?” That damned smile wouldn’t leave Drake’s face and it frustrated Eddie even more when he couldn’t figure out what the hell he was smiling about. He was sure ‘you will eat live animals’ was not in the fine print of the documents.

 

“Fuck you.”

  
  


 

Eddie wasn’t aware he fell asleep until he blinked awake and looked around. It had to be sometime in the night since no one was around and the blinding lights had be dimmed. He scratched at his chin and winced when flakes of dried blood came away. He really wanted a shower. Eddie was about to fall back asleep when a voice rang out, deep and booming.

 

**Eddie.**

 

He jumped and looked around for the source of the voice but couldn’t find it.

 

“Who’s there?”

 

**Me.**

 

Eddie was about to ask who ‘me’ was when he felt a pull on his skin and glanced at his shoulder. Black substance formed and took shape much like a snake, but with white eyes and a frightening toothy grin.

 

“What the hell are you?”

 

“ **I am Venom, and you are mine.”**

 

“Did you make me eat that rabbit?”

 

**“It was delicious. We were hungry. Still am,”** Venom licked its teeth, then reared around to where the mess of the rabbit remains were,  **“We can’t let this go to waste.”** Eddie couldn’t bring himself to look as Venom swallowed the rest of it, hearing those teeth crunch through bone.

 

“Disgusting.”

 

**“Would you rather I feast on your organs?”**

 

“Please don’t,” What a weird turn of events. Eddie was possessed by a rabbit-eating parasite-

 

**“Parasite?!”** Eddie felt his back slam into the glass and winced from the impact. Venom’s face was in his own and it growled,  **“We are going to get out of here. Do not make me kill you so soon. You seem to be a good match.”**

 

“Okay, I’m sorry! You’re not a parasite. So how are we getting out of here?” Eddie watched as Venom went back into his body under his skin, surprisingly painless.

 

**Patience. We need to build up strength. Go to sleep. We need you well-rested.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long! Been busy with work and other stuff.
> 
> Thank you so much for all the supportive comments! I know I'm my own worst critic so these really help me!


End file.
